Emergency splint compress



Jam.` 13, 1959 l.. J. KREFT EMERGENCY SPLINT coMPREss Filed Jan. 18. 1954 1l lll/15 f United States Patent O EMERGENCY SPLIN T `COMPRESS Leon J. Kreft, Auburn, Mass., assignor of ten percent to Aram Tashjian, Worcester, Mass.

Application lllanuary 18, `1954, Serial No. 404,469

Claims. (Cl. 12S-89) This invention relates to an emergency splint compress, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provisionA of a device of the class described which may be used as a splint or sling in the case of broken bones or the like and which is equally useful as a compress to staunch large or small wounds at any part of the body, and including two pairs of elongated ties which are adapted to extend around the person of the user; and the provision of a tie as aforesaid including a deformable layer of material therein which when bent to any desired shape, will retain said shape until deliberately bent once more, so that the device is made to tit any part of the human body and to conform in shape thereto and to protect the wounded part of the body keeping the wound or break protected and clean.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of the deformable compress as above described wherein the ties are elastic and the compress is usable on a limb and may be tightly applied thereto without cutting off the ilow of blood as in the case of many bandages where the ties are not elastic; and the provision of a device as above stated which may be used as a tourniquet if desired by using a twist-stick after the ties have been tied together so as to accomplish the cutting olf of the flow of blood.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a device according to the present invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the dies being omitted; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the device in one shape applied to a limb of the user.

The present invention comprises a device of the class described which is preferably approximately four to Six inches wide and eight to twelve inches long, but may be of any size or shape. The compress is relatively thick and comprises an outer or top layer of canvas or duck indicated at 10, this being stitched at its edges to an underlying soft cotton sheet 12 which is adapted to lie next to the body of the user.

Sheets 1l) and 12. may be stitched together all around four sides if desired= completely enclosing the same and forming a closed pocket, or they may be unsecured at one edge as is indicated in Fig. 1 to form an open pocket, the contents of which may be replaced. Within the pocket, there is a sheet of wire mesh indicated at 14 and this is made preferably of metal that can be autoclaved or sterilized and having openings which are approximately one-eighth to a quarter of an inch, this type of wire mesh being deformable and non-resilient, so that it retains the shape into which it is bent and may be bent into any shape quickly and easily, even by molding to the body of the user.

Under the wire mesh, next to the soft cotton sheet 12, there is interposed a relatively thick layer of padding 16 which may be made of any convenient material including creped paper, cotton padding, gauze, or any padding of like nature, and this of course will cushion the body of the wearer against the stiff wire mesh 14. At the same time, the pad provides an absorbent material which will absorb the blood and protect the wound, although the cotton sheet 12 is designed so that it will not absorb the blood to any great extent. Thus in the case of very bad wounds, the disrupted parts or skin will be held together by tightening the splint compress to the body of the injured person and the blood will be absorbed by the bandage, thus hastening clotting by pressure. However, in the case of more minor wounds, the cotton next to the skin will fail to absorb the blood to any appreciable degree but it will immobilize the area giving support and will keep the wound clean in any case until competent service can be acquired.

The splint compress is adaptable to any part of the human gure F and may be bent into any shape as diagra-mmatically indicated in Fig. 3 where it may be used to cover a wound or to act as a splint for a broken bone, sprains, etc. and in this case the ties will extend around the limb, back over the canvas 10, and tide in this position.

The ties are indicated at 18 and are preferably of resilient woven material, so that the splint compress may be applied firmly to the person but will not cut off the ow of blood in the absence or use of a twist-stick or the like as is well known in the art.

The elastic ties when stretched to do not narrow in width to any appreciable degree as would be the case with plain woven cloth ties whichbite into the flesh of the patient. Also they do not wrinkle or bunch and they are therefore very dissimilar from plain cloth ties which when tightened up will out into the flesh of the user in the manner of a cord. The ties 18 are each in one piece for extending directly across the splint compress as clearly shown at 20 in Fig. 1 underlying the canvas 10 and forming a very strong construction.

In general, the new splint compress keeps wounded members clean and fixed in position, the blood is aided in clotting under a combination of pressure applied by the elastic ties and the absorbent qualities of the device as described above. It can be used for fractures and wounds in general in the manner of a sling for the arm and may be molded to t exactly any contour of the body such as the limbs, chest, back, etc., fore-arm, thigh, leg, abdomen, and shoulder.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. A splint compress comprising an envelope, a sheet of non-resilient, deformable material in the envelope capable of holding the latter to any shape to which it is deformed, and resilient ties on the envelope for securing the latter to the person in form fitting deformed shape, said envelope comprising a pair of edge connected dissimilar sheets of material, one coarser and stronger, and a soft absorbent padding between the sheet of deformable material and the soft envelope sheet, the latter being adapted to be presented to the person and the coarse sheet being an exterior cover member when applied to the body.

2, The splint compress of claim 1 wherein the deformable sheet comprises a relatively soft wire screen.

3. A splint compress comprising an envelope, a sheet of non-resilient, deformable material in the envelope capable of holding the latter to any shape to which it is deformed, a relatively thick padding in the envelope substantially coextensive with and covering the deformable sheet, and resilient tieson the envelope forsecuring the latter to the person in form fitting deformed shape Without stopping blood circulation, said ties extending across the compressin mutually spaced relation and under one exterior portion of the envelope and over the deformable sheet.

4. A splint compress comprising an evelope, a sheet of deformable material in the envelope capable of holding the latter to any shape to which it is deformed, and means for securing the envelope to the person in form fitting deformed shape, said envelope comprising a pair of edge connected dissimilar sheets of material, one coarser and stronger, and a soft absorbent padding between the sheet of deformable material and the soft envelope sheet, the latter being adapted to be presented to the person and the coarse sheet being an exterior cover member when applied to the body.

5; A splint compress comprising an envelope, a sheet of deformable material in the envelope capable of holding the latter to any shape to which it is deformed, a relatively thick padding in the envelope substantially 4. coextensive with and ,covering the Ydeformable sheet, and ties on the envelope for securing the latter to the person in form fitting deformed shape Without stopping blood circulation, said ties extending across the compress in mutually spaced relation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,294 Pond 2 Nov. 1, 1910 1,973,387 Neymann et al. Sept. 11, 1934 1,979,082 Schwedenberg et al Oct. 30, 1934 2,531,757 Whinery Nov. 28, 1950 2,632,447 Debes Mar. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,148 Switzerland Nov. 9, 1898 787,477 France July 8, 1935 498,527 Great Britain Jan. 10, 1939 574,529 Great Britain Ian. 9, 1946 656,989 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1951 

